Wanderlust
by Shini no Megami
Summary: A series of drabbles revolving around RanmaxRyouga
1. The Fight

The Fight

Neither one of them had intended it to happen, but by the end, neither of them could deny or ignore it.

The whole thing had started out routine enough. Ryouga had dropped down into the street out of nowhere, calling Ranma out as a horrible, villainous cur that must be brought to justice, if by no one else than his hand. The two moved quickly to a more secluded location, where Ranma had laughed and teased and provoke until properly incited, and the engagement began.

Never sure when the first punch was thrown or by whom, the two faced off against each other, lashing out, dodging, ducking, kicking, screaming; at first, a cautious distance stretched between them, the blows careful, probing, unsure if the other had managed to accrue some kind of new strength or ability in the time it had been since last they danced. Gradually, the distance closed, until there was barely room for air between them. Their movements became notably more controlled, no extra energy spent, and the lightning flashing in their eyes matched the speed and fury of their strikes. It was almost primal, a fight based on instincts. Their intense focus was only on each other, and it was if the world only extended as far as each other.

It was somewhere in the midst of this that everything broke down. During a particularly close dodge, they were nose to nose, and then they were on each other. Limbs scrambled for purchase as lips, tongue, and teeth met frantically. They bucked desperately against each other, struggling for dominance, and even in their passion they were just as violent as they had been when trading blows.

Longer than forever and shorter than never this new battle raged between them, until they finally snapped back to reality with an angry yank. Ranma stared shell-shocked up at Ryouga, who returned the look in kind, chests heaving against each other, limbs tangled in a snare, ripped clothes barely hanging onto their bodies. Minutes stretched between them before Ryouga finally shoved himself up, regarding Ranma with an expression akin to horror. But before the thought of running could fully lodge itself in his brain, Ranma had wrapped steel-strong fingers around his wrist, holding him securely in place.

More silence, a conversation without words, fear, confusion, anger, worry, remorse, all flying back and forth until Ranma used the hand holding onto Ryouga to drag himself upright, their eyes never leaving the each others. Giving a slight pull, Ranma led Ryouga back to the street where he'd dropped his pack, only letting go to allow Ryouga to pull the bag up onto his shoulders. Staring off into the park they'd just emerged from, Ranma had the passing thought that hatred did mysterious things to the human mind, like completely blinding one to a deep, profound connection that once realized felt so _right_ he couldn't imagine it never being there to begin with.

But then Ryouga was calling his name, giving a curious little incline of his head, and Ranma just shrugged and walked over to the other man, removin the red umbrella out of his right hand so that he could grasp Ryouga's hand and steer him safely in the direction of home.

* * *

SnM: So, this particular author's note can be ignored by most readers:

Tama Saga-I know you haunt this section of . I am not the kind of person who will say don't critisize me, for I know I am far from perfect. However, if I get one review from you that is pure flame, that is not constructive in any way, I _will_ report you to the admins. I will not stand for senseless bullying.

Everyone else, please r&r. Even if you didn't like something. I don't know what to fix if no one tells me


	2. Leaving

Packing has never been so difficult and so easy at the same time.

Difficult because there is much that he has accumulated that past few years living with the Tendo's that he cannot bring with him. They will be of no use to him where he is going, and will only weigh him down unnecessarily. There are a few useless items he takes, if only to sell when money gets tight, but that is all.

Easy because, for the first time that he can remember, he is happy about packing, happy to be leaving. As a child, Genma always dragged him from one place to another indiscriminately, never staying long enough to set down any roots, but long enough that Ranma would always feel a sense of loss upon leaving. While the Tendo household has to be the one place he has managed to stay the longest, he feels little regret upon the aspect of leaving it.

Packing is also made easier by the fact that for the first time, he has help. Ryouga sits in the room with him, holding up various items and asking Ranma if he needs them. They banter, even argue a little, but it is nothing like their epic fights from not so long ago. They talk about the places they might visit, whether they want to try and make the pilgrimage to Jusenkyo right away, or relax and wander for a bit.

The hardest bit of it all is that this packing is being done in the middle of the day, when all of the various residents of the Tendo household are off doing various things. Ranma regrets that he won't be able to say his goodbyes to any of them in person, especially Akane (because God knows she didn't deserve this, for the two men who fought over her and who she slowly opened her heart to to wind up with each other), but he knows that if he sticks around for the ensuing battle that is sure to follow, there will be no escape. As much as he loves this house (his first real home), and the people here, he cannot ignore the fact that he feels caged, trapped, like he can't ever truly be himself or say what he thinks. The knowledge of his trapped potential is a heavy weight to carry, one he never even realized was there until he and Ryouga had sat down and mapped out the logistics of their relationship. For once, he is thinking solely of himself, and the freedom of that simple action is almost overwhelming.

He does hope that it will at least take them until tomorrow to find his note, because he knows that once word gets out of his supposed elopement with Ryouga, the entire asylum will be after them both. He feels slightly guilty for bringing his curse down on Ryouga, even though the one time he brought it up Ryouga merely crossed his arms across his chest and proclaimed that really, he'd always been the stronger one out of the two of them anyway, and he could easily take whatever feeble lashings Ranma had been fighting off to that point. Ranma had smacked him soundly upside the head for that, but the acceptance and reassurance was appreciated all the same.

"Ready?" Ryouga asks, pushing up off his knees and shouldering his own pack. Ranma checks his luggage one last time, making sure there isn't anything he's forgotten, before nodding and allowing Ryouga to pull him to his feet. His old, worn pack sits nicely on his shoulders, the weight as familiar as an old friend, and with a smile and a nod, the two set off.

* * *

SnM: Yay drabble two! I've got a third one done already, but I'm debating whether or not to post it. I don't like it as much as these first two, and would rather not post anything that will bring them down. We'll see. I'll have some of my friends take a look at it, and revise if needed.

As always, please r&r


	3. Decisions

Decisions

Ryouga stared up at Ranma, who was perched on a branch a little under five meters above him. Ranma glared back and hissed angrily. Sighing, Ryouga heaved himself up onto the next branch and began searching for another handhold.

It had started at the local market. The two wandered the various aisles aimlessly, picking up things they were running low on or thought they needed. Ranma had spotted the owner's cat the instant they walked into the store, and had glued himself to Ryouga's side. Ryouga had rolled his eyes, steered Ranma away, and promptly forgotten the cat existed. He hadn't even noticed Ranma wasn't by his side until the man had yowled rabidly from somewhere near the back of the building and burst out of the store. Groceries quickly forgotten, Ryouga had spent the next twenty minutes scouring the town, until he found his partner settled on a branch up in what had to be the tallest tree Ryouga had ever seen, either unable or unwilling to get himself down. It had occurred to him at this point to call the local fire department to try and get Ranma down, but given Ranma's current deranged disposition that would only be a recipe for chaos. Besides, what was he supposed to say? 'Help, my partner's stuck in a tree, and by the way he thinks he's a cat right now, but he's not exactly in his right mind so please don't hold it against him.' The firemen would think he was crazy, and Ranma would kill him when he came back to his senses.

Not for the first time, he sorely missed Akane. Especially now, because she was the only person he knew of that could bring Ranma out of this state. He had no real plan what he was going to do when he actually reached Ranma, but figured that nothing would be solved if he left the poor man treed, so he might as well get him down first and puzzle the rest out later.

The closer he got to Ranma, the further that man backed down the branch, growling deep in his throat, back arched high into the air. Ryouga inched closer, barely half a meter away now, cautiously stretched a hand out, willing Ranma closer.

"C'mon," he coaxed gently, beckoning the other man closer. "Come back here. I won't hurt you."

The two stared at each other, a mental battle for dominance warring between them. Ranma was stubborn enough on his own, and the primal instincts coursing through him now weren't helping any. Growling deep in his throat, Ranma shifted back a few more inches, a resounding *CRACK* resonated through the air-

'Ohshitohshitohshitohshitoh-'

-and the two dropped out of the tree, into a thick barberry bush, Ranma sprawled haphazardly on top of Ryouga.

'Step one: Complete,' thought Ryouga wryly as he pushed himself up, rubbing the back of his aching head gingerly. 'Step two…'

Ranma had tensed up and started growling again the instant Ryouga moved, nonexistent claws digging into his chest. But before the man could run off and tree himself again, Ryouga grabbed Ranma by the chin and began to scratch lightly. Ranma froze instantly, and Ryouga could almost see the wheels moving in his brain and the cat/man tried to determine if he liked it or not.

"It's okay," he breathed softly, slowly bringing his other hand up to scratch the back of Ranma's head. "I'm not going to hurt you, see? It's alright. Just calm down."

Ranma settled uneasily back down on Ryouga's legs, and Ryouga stopped scratching Ranma's chin long enough to push himself back so he was leaning against the tree trunk. When he brought his hand back up, Ranma buried his face in it, smelling it timidly. After a few seconds, he nuzzled his nose against Ryouga's palm and relaxed completely, a contented look crossing his face. Scooting up so that he was properly in Ryouga's lap, he curled up as best he could, bumping his head against the hand that had stopped scratching him. The motion immediately resumed, and Ranma began to purr softly.

Ryouga, for his part, stared down at Ranma in amazement. It was incredible how much Ranma really did behave like a real cat whenever he was under the Cat Fu. It was more than just instincts; it was mannerisms and behavioral traits. Ranma honestly, psychologically believed he was a cat, and if not for the obvious, Ryouga wouldn't have been able to tell the difference.

Ranma rolled a little so that he was partially on his side, shirt riding up slightly as it pulled against the course fabric of Ryouga's pants. Smiling softly, Ryouga reached over to tug Ranma's shirt down over his stomach. However, the instant his fingers brushed against Ranma's abs, the man twisted in a way Ryouga strongly doubted he'd be able to normally and bit his hand-hard.

"Shit!" Ryouga yanked his hand away and cradled it against his chest examining the bite mark that failed to draw blood only because Ranma didn't possess proper canines. Ranma, to his credit, looked thoroughly contrite, and crawled up Ryouga's body. Ryouga glared crossly down at his partner, and was about to kick him off when Ranma leaned his head down over Ryouga's injured hand and _licked him_. Ryouga's heart froze in his chest as Ranma continued to delicately wash his wrist. Not sure what to do, Ryouga started scratching Ranma's head again, trying desperately to ignore the heat pooling in his gut.

It was about this time that Ryouga began to wonder just how deep Ranma's cat instincts ran. He slowly moved his hand down the back of Ranma's head, over his neck, and down to his back. When he reached about the area between Ranma's shoulder blades, the man began to purr loudly, and his hands started kneading frantically against Ryouga's lower abdomen. Ryouga bit back a moan as the kneading sent some very pleasant vibrations across his body, and his hand continued its gradual down Ranma's back. He knew that he should stop, that if he let this continue on he would probably end up doing things that could be construed as rape by definition. But Ranma had yet to stop licking his wrist, and the pulling and pushing against his stomach was slowly driving him insane. He had the fleeting thought that he hoped Ranma either didn't remember any of this when he came back to himself, and began scratching at the base of Ranma's tailbone.

The reaction was instantaneous. Ranma ripped his head away from Ryouga's wrist, yowling loudly, and pushed his rear insistently back into Ryouga's hand. Ryouga couldn't hold back the moan as Ranma began to frantically switch between pushing his back against Ryouga's hand, and rubbing his hips against Ryouga's thigh. The kneading became a little more desperate, moved up so that his hands sat against Ryouga's chest, and Ranma began licking roughly at the juncture of Ryouga's throat and shoulder.

"I'm so sorry…Ranma…" Ryouga panted roughly, and he slid his hand off Ranma's tailbone, down into the back of the man's trousers.

_________________________________________________________________________________

A small young woman with red hair walked into the corner market close to closing. Koki, the elderly woman who owned the store, noticed that the woman wore a very similar Chinese top to a young man who had come in earlier that day, and wondered if the two might be related. The redheaded woman glanced around nervously for a few seconds, and upon seeing the cat sleeping soundly on her lap, shuddered and looked away.

"Is something wrong miss?" Koki asked.

"I…I just don't…like cats very much…" the woman muttered, her soft voice just barely carrying across the distance between them. The store owner gave her a surprised look (who'd ever heard of a girl who didn't like cats?), but obligingly shoved Fuwa off her lap so that the woman could approach her. The redheaded girl heaved a sigh of relief and walked over, a cautious eye never leaving the cat as it wandered away in search of its food dish.

"What can I help you with dear?" she asked kindly. The poor girl looked awfully shaken, and seemed to be having a bad day of it if the haunted look in her eyes and various bruises that marked her arms and neck were any testament. However, when reminded of the purpose of her visit, the girl straightened up considerably, a dark, angry fire blazing behind her eyes.

"I was just wondering if you would be willing to trade me anything for _this_." The woman yanked a small, unconscious black piglet out of her pack, holding it away from herself at arm's length. Her voice had taken on such a disgusted tone that Koki wondered if the young woman hated pigs just as much as she hated cats, and if so then why was she carrying one around. She took the piglet and examined it closely. The piglet was obviously well fed, and outside of a large bump on the top of its head looked to be in perfect health.

"He's small, but you could probably make a decent soup out of him if you wanted." The girl offered offhand, leaning against the counter.

Koki considered the pig a few seconds more. "Well, I wouldn't be able to give you much, but I do have a few bags of food near their expiration date I was about to throw out. You could have those if you like.

The woman smiled brilliantly. "That would be more than fair. I honestly wasn't expecting too much for him."

"Wherever did you find him?" Koki asked, unable to keep her curiosity at bay. "He looks like he could be someone's pet."

"I don't know who would ever want a dirty pet like him." The woman snarled, glaring hatefully at the pig. "I was just taking an afternoon nap and woke up to find him passed out on top of me."

Koki wasn't so sure if she believed the young woman's tale, if the malice in her voice was anything to go by. But she really didn't have any room to contest her claim, and the poor girl looked like she could do with a decent meal anyway. Setting the pig down on the counter, she retrieved the bags of food from by the door where she had dropped them earlier, and handed them over to the girl.

"There you go dear. I hope this will be enough."

"Don't worry." The girl replied happily. "I'm traveling by myself, and I know how to make food stretch if I have to." She turned and began to walk out the door.

"Oh, and if you are going to eat that pig," she added, stopping just before the exit. "Make sure he's still alive when you boil him. The meat gets more tender that way."

Koki stared as the woman skipped happily out the door. Something about the way the young redheaded girl had spoken sent chills down her spine, and she could have sworn for a moment that those deep blue eyes had turned red. Must have been the setting sun reflecting off the window. Trying to shake off the feeling, Koki picked the pig up and began to walk to the back of the store where her kitchen was.


End file.
